The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-09-22
PHIL ARM0UR'S PLANS.
HE5TELLs-=e PARsoN HOW TO RUN
A SUNDAY SCHOOL MISSION.

TheeP Pork Kings Idea Fills the Benchca
and the Service is Most Interesting
Oae-The Prayers are Made short-Thc
Mission Non-Sccta-ian.
When the Armour mission, up on
Thirty third street, was started with $780,
600 endowment, it was hard to decide
Just how to,manage the religious end of it.
Joseph Armour had directed in the willby
which he gaveiit 100000 that it should
be non-secturian. Phil Armour, who
added 100000 to the original fund, was
altogether opposed to the mission being
ANYTHING but q broad, humanitarian
charity, with plenty of religion, of course,
but of that generic sort only which would
be us acceptable to the Romanist as to the
Methodist, and as agreeable to. the Epis-
copaliGt as to the Baptist. The, reverend
gentleman who was finall elected to take
charge of the religious welfare of the in
stitution was given, in general terms, nm
idea of this purpose Of the founders.
They did not want sectarianism OF any
kind or degree. Good doctrine from the
Bible, without any theology, was what he
was asked to give. lie began with en-
ergE, and ran along for some time on his
OWL tlea& fawhat the little children and
the .parentsswho filled the benches needed.
One day he received summons to come
down town to the office He got there
promptly and was beckoned over to the
big packers desk. Armour wheeled
around in his chair couple of times ms if
to select his vocabulary, looked the man
of God over carefully and then launched
forth his own ideas Of theology.
"You're giving these youngsters too
much grape and canister" he began,
slowly. "Hell fire and birthstone are oil
right for the old sinners, but the mission
isn't for them. Now" he added, with
the same emphasis he'd use to one of his
office clerks, 'I want you to change around
and try another plan. If you don't, you'll
drive all those children away. When you
begin your service in the morning
you can read q chapter from the Bible.
Then have little prayer, something
short; not longer than that''-mcasuring
off about a foot with his forefngers.
s'Then / want you to sing-sing good
many times,n he repeated, emphatically.
''Then' tell o story" he continued, "some-
thing with "a point to it. and q moral, but
short. +Thenyou can have another little
prayer, but, mind you, not longer than
that''-holding up his hands about six
inches apart this time.
1T FILLED THE BENCHES.
'sMr. Armour remarked the preacher,
rather loosely, ~ suppose you Gun run a
packing house, but you don't know much
about religion
"Well," said the builder of the mission,
very sharply, "will you try its''
stOh, yes" was the answer.
Phil Armour's theological scheme has
been in vogue ever since that interview
and has been great success. Hc goes up
every Sunday to the morning childrens
service and watches the ching grow.
"Don't you mind the old fellows or the
played out Sinners, he constantly adjures
the minister in charge. "If you see an
old fellow in the gutter, even, don't stop,
but keep your eye on the little fellow
ahead. Look out for him.. -
Arnlor1r's theology has filled up the
benches, and they hold 1900 people. The
preacher, ever since the sharp interview
at the La Sale street office, has been
working on the new tack. The service is
" IlOSI ONS. <aSSolNlAS "
orders, the grown folks are entirely is-
norcd The whole service is for the little
ones. The prayers urc short-not longer
than Armour indicated with his two fore
fingers. There is singing pretty nearly
all the time The little fellows are drilled
to rccite verses or to sing solos. And yet
the benches are almost filled with the pa
rents and grown brothers and sisters of
the little ones. There are twice us many
at this childrcns service in the morning
as in the evening, when n sermon is
preached
"You can jl6 what You like Mt night,
Armour told the preacher in an encourage
ing way after this interview. "You can
preach sermon if you like, for I'll never
be there except ia the morning But at
that childrcn's service / want it my way
until see it won't work"
But it did work. The dominic Mt the
mission now admits that, after nil, Phil
Armour knew better whnt would fiji the
benches than trained theologian. Best
of all, and this pleases Armour most, NIL
crecds gather ut the mission to bring or
see the children, hundreds Of Catholics
among the othcrs.-New York Sun.
DuelinQ among women is becoming fash.